Kai Iwi Lakes
Still, clear freshwater — the perfect place to learn to go deep.
No salt, no swell, no current.
Taharoa drops to around 37 m of clear, calm freshwater — a natural training pool. It is where we run depth lines, build breath-hold and refine technique, and where the Freshwater Ecology specialty comes alive among kākahi and tuna.
A training day in still water.
A scenic drive west brings you to flat, clear water perfect for depth training and technique — for every level, from first timers to freedivers chasing a personal best.
Because there is no current or swell, it is one of the safest, calmest places in the north to push your depth and breath-hold under guidance.
Lakes held in the sand.
The Kai Iwi Lakes — Taharoa, Waikare and Kai Iwi — are dune lakes, cupped in ancient sand and fed only by rain. With no rivers carrying silt in or out, the water turns an astonishing, glass-clear blue.
They are among the largest dune lakes in Aotearoa, and a taonga of Te Roroa, the mana whenua of this coast. A still, sheltered, sacred place.
For freedivers, that stillness is gold — no salt, no swell, no current to fight.
Train your depth at Kai Iwi Lakes.
Calm, clear freshwater for every level — tell us where you’re at and we’ll plan the day around your goals.